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Egon Barthels  |  Coordinator
Lavaca County Emergency Management 
P.O. BOX 243 | Hallettsville, TX 77964-0243
ph: 361.798.5628  | fax: 361.798.5490 | email: eoc@co.lavaca.tx.us | website: co.lavaca.tx.us
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  • The Lavaca County COVID-19 Update has been relocated to a dropdown menu on the homepage. Click Here. 

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    Don’t make it a happy holiday for car thieves

    Texans can fight back against motor vehicle crimes

    (AUSTIN, Texas – November 25, 2020) Protect your ride and what’s inside! It doesn’t matter what kind of car you drive. All vehicles are a potential target of motor vehicle theft this holiday season. In Texas, almost 77,000 vehicles were stolen last year, and nearly 200,000 vehicles are burglarized each year. The losses to Texans are staggering – almost $1.5 billion.

    “Protect your investment,” says Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA) Chairman and Galveston County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Tommy Hansen. “Over 80% of communities that have a motor vehicle theft taskforce funded by MVCPA reported that keys left in cars and cars unlocked were the major contributors to these crimes.”

    Stolen cars disappear across the border, out of the ports or end up at local illegal “chop shops” every day. Motor vehicle theft would plummet if people did not leave their cars unlocked or leave their keys in the car. Many thieves use stolen vehicles in other criminal activities, such as human trafficking, drug smuggling and robbery.

    MVCPA reminds Texans: If You Like It – Lock It. Locking your car is the most effective way to prevent burglary of your car. Remember to take or hide your things. Many law enforcement agencies say criminals are targeting vehicles in neighborhoods and parking lots likely to contain weapons or credit cards, which are the top priority for quick money from burglary. Don’t go willingly down “Victim Lane.” Follow these steps for a safe and secure holiday:

    • Lock your vehicle and take your keys.
    • Take your things. If you cannot, then hide valuables from plain sight to avoid attracting thieves.
    • Never hide a second set of keys in or on your vehicle. Thieves can find these easily.
    • Park in well-lighted areas or attended lots.
    • Never leave your vehicle running unattended, even if you will only be away for a moment.
    • Don’t leave documents with important personal details in your vehicle.
    • Park with your wheels turned toward the curb and use your emergency brake, making your vehicle harder to tow away. Wheels should also be turned to the side in driveways and parking lots.
    • If you have a garage, use it. Lock your garage as well as your vehicle doors. Your vehicle may be more vulnerable when you park outside.
    • Consider after-market theft prevention devices compatible with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

    Visit www.txwatchyourcar.com for more information,

  • To sign up for CodeRED click the SignUp button to the left on this page.

    In January of 2018, Lavaca County, Texas Division of Emergency Management implemented its emergency communications system, CodeRED.

    Residents are probably already familiar with CodeRED, which is used by Lavaca County officials to broadcast Amber Alerts and other information. Similar telephone notifications are also used by the school system to inform parents of upcoming school events or emergency situations.

    The system is voice activated. The recipient must say “Hello” before the message will be relayed.

    Lavaca County, Texas citizens and those with interests in Lavaca County, can log onto co.lavaca.tx.us or text “LAVACAALERTS” to 99411 to receive the registration link directly to your mobile phone and get their home or cell phone numbers included in the database.  

    For those residents without Internet access, they may call Lavaca County, Texas Division of Emergency Management at 361-798-5628 to supply their information over the phone. Required information includes first and last name, street address (physical address, no P.O. boxes), city, state, zip code and primary phone number. Additional phone numbers can be entered as well. Forms detailing this information will also be available at the Lavaca County, Texas Division of Emergency Management office in the Lavaca County Courthouse.

    Again, the program can be utilized by both residences and businesses. If you have an unlisted phone number, have changed your phone number or address within the past year or use a cell phone or VoIP phone as your primary number, you should register for the alerts. Multiple telephone numbers can be attached to a single physical address, but residents cannot have multiple residences linked to one phone. Both IPhones and Android phones also have a CodeRED app available.

    CodeRED Mobile Alert App Downloads

    Apple App Store Badge, Download AppGoogle Play Badge, Download App

    Critical Alerts Straight To Your Phone

    With the CodeRED Mobile Alert app – the nation’s most downloaded public safety notification app – OnSolve enables subscribers to receive these notifications directly to their mobile device whether at home, on the road, or traveling around the country.

    These mobile push notifications deliver relevant, location-based alerts based on GPS location to ensure you receive critical information when you are in a CodeRED client’s jurisdiction.

    Click the links above to download the CodeRED Mobile Alert app to your mobile device.

    Codered COMMUNITY FLYERS

    Lavaca County, Texas Division of Emergency Management would appreciate you, our Lavaca County Neighbors, to help us spread the word about CodeRED. We've made posters and flyers that you may share with your family and friends, on social media, or printing and posting on your office or community bulletin board. Thank you in advance for your helping promote Lavaca County CodeRED!

     1. Resident poster
    2. Enrollment Flyer
    3. General Flyer
    4. Weather Warning Flyer

  • The Lavaca County Office of Emergency Management (LCOEM) provides an all-hazards approach to emergency management and homeland security services for Lavaca County. The major areas of focus include emergency management and homeland security planning and policy; emergency management and homeland security grant administration; the countywide emergency training and exercise program; public preparedness and education; and enhancement of county’s response and recovery capabilities. Lavaca County OEM is committed to preparing for, responding to, recovering from, mitigating, and preventing threats posed to Lavaca County. These threats include natural disasters, man-made disasters (including terrorism), and technological disasters. Lavaca County OEM coordinates emergency management and homeland security activities with all Lavaca County agencies, as well as the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission (GCRPC), private organizations, faith-based organizations, volunteer organizations, and other local, state, and federal agencies.
     
    Lavaca County OEM provides leadership, vision, direction, and subject matter expertise in the field of emergency management and homeland security in order to heighten the County’s readiness to respond to and recover from major emergencies and disasters. In the event of a major emergency or disaster affecting Lavaca County, the Lavaca County Office of Emergency Management will activate and manage the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC becomes the command and coordination point for all County emergency management activities. Furthermore, County OEM serves as the coordination point for federal disaster assistance, county recovery efforts, and prevention/mitigation programs to reduce the effects of future disasters. In addition, the County OEM serves as the liaison to regional, state, federal, volunteer, faith-based, and private partners in order to prepare for, effectively respond to, and efficiently recover from significant emergency and disaster events. These partnerships are enhanced through mutual aid agreements, memorandum of understanding, and inter-local agreements.
     
    The Lavaca County OEM develops and maintains the County’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP), and directs emergency management planning for the unincorporated areas of Lavaca County as well as the cities of Hallettsville, Moulton, Shiner, and Yoakum. The CEMP guides strategic organizational behavior before, during, and after a significant emergency or disaster in Lavaca County and jurisdictions included within the CEMP. This document serves as the foundational guide for County/City emergency and disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts. In addition, the County OEM coordinates emergency training, simulations, and exercises necessary to prepare County staff and partner agencies to carry out their roles in the County CEMP.
     
    Emergency Management Director AND Coordinator:
     
    The Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security for Lavaca County is the Lavaca County Judge. The County Judge appoints the Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) to oversee the day to day Emergency Management and Homeland Security Programs for the County. The Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) is responsible for maintaining the County’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) for all hazards. This plan is based on an analysis of the hazards that could occur in the County and South Central Texas area.
     
    The CEMP addresses these hazards using four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. When an impending emergency disaster is known, the EMC may activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC is staffed with members of the various departments within the County, and jurisdictions in Lavaca County which may be affected by the emergency or event, state and federal representatives, as well as members of the faith-based and community-based organizations active in a disaster.
     
    The EOC supports the Incident Command Post or On-Scene operations to ensure that responders have all the resources necessary to save lives, protect property, and the environment and then to recover from the disaster.
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